Duomo di Como (Como Cathedral), Como

Duomo di Como (Como Cathedral), Como (must see)

Como Cathedral鈥攐fficially Saint Mary of the Assumption鈥攊sn鈥檛 just another church planted in a square; it鈥檚 the city鈥檚 statement piece, four centuries in the making. Construction began back in 1396, on the ruins of a Romanesque church that had to make way for something bigger, bolder, and a little more ambitious. The front that greets you today, finished in the 15th century, is a stonemason鈥檚 masterpiece: a rose window, finely carved portals, and two very bookish locals鈥擯liny the Elder and Pliny the Younger鈥攍ooking out from their glass cases. The last decoration came in 1770, when the dome rose above the skyline, sealing the building鈥檚 place as the final great Gothic cathedral of Italy鈥攚ith a Renaissance and Baroque twist or two thrown in for good measure.

Step inside and the scale hits you first: soaring vaults, shafts of colored light from stained glass, and side chapels that pile on centuries of ornamentation. Here Gothic lines coexist with Renaissance elegance and Baroque spark. Look closely and you鈥檒l find tapestries woven in Florence, Ferrara, and Antwerp, plus canvases by Bernardino Luini鈥擫eonardo da Vinci鈥檚 disciple. Every corner has its own visual conversation between faith and artistry.

But this cathedral doesn鈥檛 live on grandeur alone. Local legend has slipped in a bit of whimsy at the north entrance鈥攖he 鈥渄oor of the frog.鈥� A small carving from around 1400 shows a frog catching a butterfly. Harmless enough, until you hear the tale: during a catastrophic flood, the water stopped right at the frog鈥檚 level, sparing the city. Ever since, touching the frog is said to bring luck鈥攁nd maybe keep the waters at bay.

So when you find yourself in Cathedral Square, don鈥檛 just admire the cathedral from afar. Climb the steps, peer up at the statues, duck inside to feel the layers of history overhead, and don鈥檛 forget to greet the frog.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Como. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "黑料吃瓜网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Duomo di Como (Como Cathedral)
Sight Location: Como, Italy (See walking tours in Como)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Como Introduction Walking Tour

Walking Tours in Como, Italy

Create Your Own Walk in Como

Creating your own self-guided walk in Como is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Como Introduction Walking Tour

The Roman writer Pliny the Younger once wrote to his friend, 鈥淲hat is the news from Como, mine and your delight?鈥� Como is a place of palaces, churches, gardens, temples, museums, and parks. Its nearness to the spectacular Lake Como and the Swiss and Italian Alps has made the area a traveler鈥檚 delight from the time of Pliny the Younger to the present day.

Pliny wasn鈥檛 its first fan,... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles

Como Lakeshore Walking Tour

English novelist Mary Shelley declared visitors to Italy are in danger of becoming: "enjoyers of the beauties of nature, the elegance of art, the delights of climate, the recollections of the past, and the pleasures of society." All this she found on the shores of Lake Como. From Roman writer Pliny the Younger onward, visitors and natives of Como would have agreed.

The alpine lake is... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles

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